Forbes ranked Wang and her husband, Chen Wen-chi (陳文琦), president and chief executive of chip provider VIA Technologies Inc (威盛電子), as Taiwan’s wealthiest couple, with a net worth of US$6.8 billion. The couple, rated the nation’s 11th-richest last year, ranked 143rd worldwide on Forbes’ billionaire list released on Wednesday.

Fubon Group (富邦集團) founder Tsai Wan-tsai (蔡萬才) and family ranked No. 2 in Taiwan, with a combined fortune of US$6.3 billion. The Tsai family ranked 156th on the global list.

Gou, who topped the Taiwan list last year, fell to third place this year, with a net worth of US$5.7 billion and a world ranking of 179th.

Want Want Group (旺旺集團) chairman Tsai Eng-meng (蔡衍明) was fourth in Taiwan, with a fortune of US$5.2 billion and a global ranking of 196th.

Rounding out the top 10 list were Formosa Plastics Group (台塑集團) vice chairman Wang Yung-tsai (王永在) in fifth place; Quanta Group (廣達集團) chairman Barry Lam (林百里) in sixth; Lin Yu-lin (林堉璘), founder of the Hong Tai Group (宏泰集團), in seventh; Lin Rung-san (林榮三), property and media tycoon and founder of the Liberty Times and its sister paper the Taipei Times at eighth; Cheng Shin Rubber Co (正新輪胎) founder Luo Jye (羅結) and family following in ninth; and Tsai Chen-yu (蔡鎮宇), former vice chairman of Cathay Financial Holdings Co (國泰金控), in 10th place.

Worldwide, Mexican telecoms tycoon Carlos Slim Helu remained the world’s richest person with a net worth of US$74 billion thanks to his telecoms empire. Already the top dog last year, he increased his fortune by US$20.5 billion.

In a now familiar second place was Microsoft founder Bill Gates with US$56 billion. The relatively lower ranking reflected his enormous philanthropic give-aways over the year, Forbes said.

Next up was US investment guru Warren Buffett and Frenchman Bernard Arnault from the luxury goods group LVMH with US$50 billion and US$41 billion respectively.

Worldwide, the number of billionaires hit a record 1,210, up from 1,011 last year, Forbes said.

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